For a long time, growing niche crops was the prerogative of small farms. Nowadays, more and more large producers are looking for alternatives to traditional crops. PROMETEY has joined their ranks. This year, the production company sowed almost 2,000 hectares of niche flax and lentils in Mykolaiv region. Representatives of the company spoke about the advantages and disadvantages of growing these crops.

High-margin crops with potential

Daria Trofymenko, a trader at PROMETEY, notes that these crops are not very common in mass production, but they are high-margin and have a high level of profitability.

“It is best to sell them in small volumes. Then you can make a good profit. At least, this is our action plan for this season. We'll see how it works out in practice a little later, as this is the first time we will export flax and lentils”.

As of July 2024, the price of flax ranges from UAH 18-18.5 thousand per ton, and the price of red lentils is in the range of UAH 22-25 thousand per ton.

Risks and challenges

PROMETEY's chief agronomist, Ilya Troitsky, talks about the risks of growing niche crops.

“The main problem of the 'niche' is the lack of sustainable demand and price fluctuations in the market. The demand is simply small, and with overproduction, the price falls, which, when superimposed on low yield potentials, can cause economic losses for the farmer. Entering global markets mitigates these problems a bit, but only partially”.

Troitsky also draws attention to the specifics of growing these crops.

“In terms of technology, growing many niche crops is no more difficult than growing wheat or sunflower. Moreover, there are significant advantages, such as a lower prevalence of specialized diseases and pests. This means that cheaper protection schemes can be applied. But, of course, growing any crop requires some experience, field experiments, taking into account the peculiarities of the soil and climatic zone, etc. That's why it's hard for beginners to get high yields the first time. On the plus side, most of the niche crops are good and valuable predecessors, and their introduction into crop rotations will improve the results of growing traditional crops, while the time spacing of field operations ensures optimized use of the machine and tractor fleet”.

Growing niche crops, as PROMETEY's experience shows, is both a challenge and an opportunity. In the future, the company says, niche crops may become the basis of the budget of many farms, ensuring stability and profitability even in unfavorable years for traditional crops.